Journal article
Moral Differentiation: Exploring Boundaries of the “Monkey See, Monkey Do” Perspective
Journal of business ethics, Vol.102(3), pp.379-399
09/2011
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/105084
Abstract
Research in ethical decision making has consistently demonstrated a positive relationship between others’ unethical behavior and observers’ unethical behavior, providing support for the “Monkey See, Monkey Do” perspective (e.g., Robinson and O’Leary-Kelly, Acad Manage J 41:658–672, 1998). However, the boundaries of this relationship have received little research attention. Guided by theory and research in interpersonal distancing, we explore these boundaries by proposing and examining “moral differentiation,” the set of individual and situational characteristics that affect the degree to which one is willing to be influenced by others’ unethical behavior. Using data from 655 undergraduate business students in two U.S. universities, we test moderating hypotheses regarding the influence of moral differentiation characteristics on the relationship between others’ unethical behavior and observers’ unethical behavior. Results suggest that strong moral identity, low need for affiliation, and extraversion weaken the relationship between others’ unethical behavior and observers’ unethical behavior. Implications for managers and future research are discussed.
Metrics
14 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Moral Differentiation: Exploring Boundaries of the “Monkey See, Monkey Do” Perspective
- Creators
- Michael O’Fallon - School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management James Madison University 361 Godwin Hall Harrisonburg VA 22807 U.S.AKenneth Butterfield - Department of Management Washington State University Todd 337F Pullman WA 99164-4736 U.S.A
- Publication Details
- Journal of business ethics, Vol.102(3), pp.379-399
- Academic Unit
- Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship, Department of
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands; Dordrecht
- Identifiers
- 99900546633401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article